Trying something a little different here, knocking out short postings rather than letting the day’s events accumulate.

Walking into the locker room after this morning’s skate — not an optional, everyone out there in the usual lines and defense pairings — the Sharks could glance up at the two TVs in the room and see that any plans the Pittsburgh Penguins had to close out their series in five games on home ice were not happening, that the Tampa Bay Lightning were leading something like 5-0 at the time.

Lesson there for San Jose as the Sharks try to do the same to the Los Angeles Kings tonight at HP Pavilion?

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“I think so,” Joe Pavelski said.

His coach is hoping the entire team gets the same message from that same game in Pittsburgh.

“I think we’re fortunate right now in watching Tampa and Pittsburgh play because it’s pretty evident that one team was ready to go and the other wasn’t,” McLellan said. “Maybe we’ll be forewarned because of somebody else’s demise and we can apply it appropriately tonight.”

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

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I think that is a great lesson, Sharks had better be ready to go tonight, because the Kings are most definitely going to bring it. If the boys in teal play like they did the last half of the season and like they did in the 1st period of Game 1 and the 3rd period of Game 4, than it should make for an excellent Game 5. Here’s hoping they close it out tonight get some rest and prepare for the next round.

Marleau14

Oh yeah, you can’t forget the miracle of the 2nd period in Game 3, so put all those together and you have your full 60.

Miketeal

Wings got the sweep so it’d be nice if our series could finish up early too. Have o stay rested for a long run. With that said, like the pens series shows, the guys have to be 110% in this one from the start.

Di®ty Bum

I’ve literally seen a cornered rat viciously fight it’s way out and escape before. It’s brutal and they come out fast and furious. LA is going to be jacked up tonight, but I think the cooler heads on the ice will keep SJ in check.
Thanks for the updates. Game day material is the best.

4th Hanson Brother

Close it out, boys! GO SHARKS!

JB

Nice of the Pens to take the pipe today. That pasting should indeed help our guys focus. I’d hate to see the Sharks come out mentally unprepared to battle in a playoff game. 😉 Seriously, after the roster moves and the way the group has developed along the way, I think the only problem this team has is a periodic one between their collective ears.

NB Finfan

JB I think your last sentence is the most accurate comment I have ever read on this blog.

-Nasty Bum

garlicbulb

From NHL website

“Los Angeles last overcame a 3-1 series deficit in 1989, against Edmonton. It has faced such deficits four times since then and taken the series to a seventh game twice, in 2001 and 2002 against Colorado.”

The Sharks need to close this series out today!

russell

The Kings don’t have Stamkos,Lecavier,St.Louis,and Gagne.

topcat

Kings will have no pressure at all and nothing to lose. I imagine they will stay in a defensive shell and be patient. Probably a mistake, since we can outscore anyone. The key to slowing the Sharks is to spend tons of time in Shark’s zone, even if you don’t score. I’m sure hope the players are focused on wrapping it up because Wings are resting and healing. The opposite situation from last year, and the Wings will want revenge. We’d better hope the Blackhawks can come all the way back. I would much rather play Nashville, who we match up well against, and who doesn’t fore check that well. And the Hawks play well against Detroit.

Mike N.

#9 — If the Blackhawks win, they will play the Sharks, due to the reseeding requirements. The Red Wings would end up playing the winner of the Nashville/Anaheim series.

There is no way that the Sharks would play the Preds in the second round — if the Canucks win one of the last two, they will play the winner of that series, and the Sharks play Detroit.